


Eaziz

by Selah



Series: The Sun, the Moon, and Other Stars [7]
Category: Jrock, Royz
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-16 04:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15429360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selah/pseuds/Selah
Summary: From the first moment they met, Tomoya knew this omega was the only one he would ever want.





	1. Earliest

**Author's Note:**

> SMOS #3.4. Eaziz = treasured  
> Written for the July challenge (drummers) over at VKYaoi on Dreamwidth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> timestamp: March 1988  
> The Nintendo Game and Watch was the company's first foray into personal/portable gaming, the antecedent to the GameBoy. Famicon is the Japanese name for the original NES.
> 
> And yes, I used the "&" operator because the boys may be soulmates, but in this chapter they're also only **9**. :p
> 
> Special guest appearances by the Murata brothers because they said so. I, uh, just do what I'm told....

Most of March tended to be grey and dreary, the cold of winter still lingering in the air. So when a rare warm afternoon appeared on Saturday, little Tomoya didn't hesitate for one moment, jamming his feet into his sneakers and grabbing his soccer ball. Such a nice afternoon, the park was sure to be full of other kids. Besides, he had to take advantage of these chances while he still could. He would be turning ten in a couple months and that meant, in just two weeks, he would be going away to alpha school. It would be his first time away from his parents for more than a couple nights and he was both excited and terrified. What if he hated it? What if he couldn't make friends with any of his classmates? Not that he'd ever had trouble making friends in the past, but this would be different. Everyone there, other than some of the staff, would be alphas, too. It would be such a different place, being just one alpha among many instead of one in a sea of mostly betas.

Looking back, Tomoya never was able to say exactly how it had happened. One minute he had been running towards the park entrance, the next minute the most beautiful omega he had ever seen in his life was collapsed at his feet. The scent of him was like nothing Tomoya had ever experienced before in his life and –.

“Yamashita-kun? Yamashita-kun, are you – oh my god. Ani! Ani, help! Yamashita-kun's going into heat!”

“What? That's not possible....”

Tomoya probably should have been paying more attention to what was happening around him, but at that moment, he only had eyes for the beautiful omega in front of him. Crouching down, he reached for him, only to feel his heart shatter when Yamashita flinched away from him.

The scent of an adult alpha male instantly had Tomoya's hackles up as he shifted to put himself between _his_ omega and this interloper. The alpha had his hands up, but he didn't back away.

“Easy, kid, easy,” he said, trying to be gentle, he supposed. “Soulmates, huh? All right, I'm not trying to take him away from you, but we need to get Yamashita-kun to the pharmacy or every alpha in the neighborhood is going to be coming for him. It's not too far, you can come with, okay?”

Tomoya scowled a moment, but he had to admit what the alpha was saying made sense. He couldn't protect his omega from others, not yet, he needed help. A short nod and he let the older alpha past him, though he still watched him like a hawk.

“By the way, I'm Shinya. What's your name?”

“Tomoya. Hasegawa Tomoya.”

“Nice to meet you, Hasegawa-kun. That's my little brother, Kohta, and this is our cousin's kid, Koudai.”

Koudai. Even his name was beautiful.

~*~*~

Tomoya was annoyed that the local pharmacist was a beta woman who insisted on keeping him away from his soulmate. Worse, Shinya took her side, physically pulling him back when he tried to follow her anyway.

“I know it's hard, Hasegawa-kun, but it's not worth fighting. Kohta-kun is with him and his parents are coming. Might be better if you went home now.”

“What? But I can't just _leave_!” he protested, his chest aching at the thought. “I haven't even gotten to talk to him at all!”

“Hey, I get it, kid, I do, but his dad's a beta, he's not going to understand, trust me. Besides, Kou-kun isn't going to be up to socializing for a couple days at least.”

“But I don't even know where he lives....”

Shinya frowned and at least he seemed to be seriously considering the problem. And then he was opening the backpack Kohta had left with them. Tomoya felt his eyes almost fall out of his head as Shinya pulled out a handheld Super Mario Brothers Game and Watch.

“You were gonna give me your address anyway, right? When they notice it's missing, I'll say you must have picked it up. That'll give you an excuse to see each other again, yeah? When he's ready and without you having to run the risk of angering his parents by turning up on your own.”

Tomoya nodded, clutching the handheld console to his chest while thanking the alpha profusely. Shinya seemed almost embarrassed by the attention, soon stopping him so he could actually write down his name and address and then go before they could get caught. Not only did he now have a reason for hope, he had concrete proof that they had something in common.

~*~*~

Koudai shuddered and rolled over, but there was nothing left in him to vomit. He had never before hated being an omega, but if he was going to have to go through this every time he dropped a heat, he wasn't sure he wanted it anymore.

“The first time is always the worst,” his mother soothed, dabbing his forehead with a damp cloth when he rolled back over again. “Hopefully you won't have another one for _quite_ awhile. And with a little more warning.”

“... there was an alpha....”

“Mm, Shinya-kun said you met your soulmate,” his mother said, nodding. “We won't tell your father about that just yet, okay? He wouldn't like it.”

“But....”

“Trust me, sweetheart, your father isn't ready to hear you're grown up enough to be having heats,” his mother insisted with a gentle smile. “Also, Shinya-kun is pretty sure your soulmate is the one who picked up your game. He got his name and address, you can find out when you're feeling better.”

Koudai didn't remember having his game out to be dropped in the first place, but he wasn't going to say _that_ to his mother. If it _was_ a little white lie, she didn't need to know. Especially when he couldn't really remember anything about his soulmate, other than he was an alpha who smelled like ... like ... had he really smelled like freshly mown grass or was that his imagination? He closed his eyes, trying to picture his face, but he couldn't do that, either. It had all happened so quickly and then Shinya had been there, carrying him away from the park. Hopefully this meant his alpha soulmate was younger than Shinya, but he couldn't even remember that. He was too young to be mated, though, he hadn't even started junior high yet!

“Deep breaths, sweetheart, you know I won't let anyone hurt you, not even a soulmate,” his mother soothed, rubbing his back. “Just rest, Kou-chan, rest so you can feel better on Monday.”

Koudai didn't want to think about Monday or school or anything. He wished his cousin Kohta was with him. The beta might not have been able to tell him much, but at least he could have described Koudai's soulmate to him. Anything, even a beta's flat impression, would be better than the nothing he currently had.

~*~*~

Every day, Tomoya raced home from every outing. And yet every day, his mother told him the same thing: no one had come looking for him. He couldn't understand it, desperately wanting to see his soulmate again but not having any idea where to even look for him. After the third day in a row of racing home from soccer practice only to be disappointed yet again, he dashed upstairs, flinging himself face down on his bed and crying bitterly in frustration. Nearly five days now, obviously his soulmate was rejecting him out of hand. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all! The most beautiful omega in all the world, his perfect match, and he didn't even want to see him, get to know him, give him a chance! It would be better if he just died!

“Tomoya! Company!”

Crap. Probably a cousin or something. Still, he couldn't be seen after just crying, only _babies_ cried.

“I'll be down in a minute!” he called out before dashing into the bathroom to wash his face. It only sort of helped, but maybe he could say he was sick or something? Or allergies? It was the right time of year for them.

He was at the base of the stairs before his brain caught up with his nose. It was _that_ scent, roses and spices and wood smoke and the softest, puffiest clouds. He practically burst into the living room, not sure if he could really trust what he was seeing.

“Yamashita-kun,” he said, breathless with renewed hope. And just when he had been ready to give up.... His mother glanced between them a moment and then she actually huffed and frowned at him.

“Hasegawa Tomoya, how dare you not tell me you've met your soulmate?!”

“Mom!”

“Yamashita-kun, would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Uh, I ... I really just came for my game,” his omega stammered, blushing cutely. “My mom's expecting me home soon.”

And that quickly he felt his hopes collapsing again. His soulmate really didn't want him. It just wasn't fair.

“We could call her, I could talk to her if you think it would help,” his mom suggested, being extra gentle with both her words and her scent. Tomoya glanced back at Koudai, only just realizing how overwhelming it might be, coming to a house of alphas. His omega looked like he was on the verge of just bolting, game or no game.

“It's okay, Mom,” he lied. “If he has to go, he has to go. I'll be right back, Yamashita-kun.”

This wasn't at all what he had pictured when Shinya had handed him Koudai's Game and Watch. But maybe....

“Super Mario's pretty cool, yeah?” he said, handing the game back to its proper owner. “I've got the Famicon game, maybe you could come over some time and we could play together?”

“I ... I don't know ... maybe....”

“I have a couple other games, too. And you know where I live now, so....”

“Yeah, maybe,” his omega said, but Tomoya could tell it was taking everything Koudai had not to just cut and run, so he stepped back. And then bit his tongue to keep from offering to walk him home. He couldn't afford to risk doing anything that would chase off his omega before he had proven himself worthy.

~*~*~

Koudai leaned against his bedroom door and took a deep breath. Safe. He was safe. At least his soulmate was close to his own age. But an alpha raised by alphas? Could he really risk that? And those emotional swings. And his mother, practically having them mated already! He hadn't been there that long and still his heart was racing.

“Kou-chan, sweetie, what's wrong?”

“N-nothing,” he stammered, forcing himself to take a slow, deep breath. “I'm fine, Mom.”

Great, now he was lying, too. At least Hasegawa didn't know where he lived. And obviously they went to different schools or else they would have run into each other before this. He just wouldn't go to that park anymore. There, problem solved.

Except that wasn't really fair of him, was it? Aside from the impression of being an overeager puppy, he really didn't know anything about his soulmate. Just that he lived in the next neighborhood over and liked video games. It wasn't much, but it was probably enough to say they had a chance at being good friends. But would an alpha, especially one raised by two alpha parents, really be willing to let things go at that? He wasn't pushing now, but they were still just kids. If he kept in touch, would Hasegawa just assume that made him his? If he stayed in contact, would he be giving up any chance of deciding his own future?

It wasn't fair, he wasn't ready to be making these kinds of decisions. He hadn't even turned ten yet!

Maybe ... maybe he was thinking too hard. Okay, yes, Hasegawa was an alpha being raised by alphas, but that didn't mean he would definitely turn into a knotheaded asshole, right? Maybe ... maybe growing up together was how the kami meant to keep Hasegawa decent?

He really should have gotten his phone number. Tomorrow. He was just going to have to stop by there tomorrow. And be firm that it wasn't like he _liked_ him or anything.

~*~*~

“Yan, is that you?”

“Yeah, it's me, Mom,” Tomoya said, tiredly peeling off his jacket. The school year was almost over, but the soccer club was still drilling hard every day. Of course most of the club was expecting to either continue with the club next year or move up to the next schools' teams. Tomoya didn't know what his own fate would be yet, but he doubted he would be making any team next term. 

“Hey sweetie,” his mom said as he walked into the kitchen, surprised when she all but pushed a tray with snacks and two drinks into his hands. “Your soulmate showed up a little bit ago, I invited him to stay for dinner and his mother said yes. I thought he might be more comfortable waiting in your room, so he should be there.”

He wasn't sure if she had actually been finished or not, hurrying up to his bedroom as fast as he could without spilling. And there was his soulmate, wrapped in the blanket from his bed and reading a manga. Was that...? But no, his manga hadn't been touched, that was Yamashita's own copy. Something else they had in common, then.

“Yamashita-kun? Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said as he nudged his door almost closed. “Mom thought we'd like a snack. Are you cold? There's a kotatsu in the living room, we could probably use that.”

“It's okay,” Yamashita said with a little shake of his head. “I mean, the Famicon is in here, yeah?”

“Yeah, it is,” Tomoya agreed, a sudden feeling almost like shyness hitting him right in the gut. Was that the only reason Yamashita had come over? Well, maybe there really wasn't much other reason yet.

“So ... Super Mario Brothers or Donkey Kong?”

~*~*~

After having dinner with Tomoya's parents, it had felt rude not to return the invitation. And even though it had been Koudai's own idea, it still felt a bit intimidating to get off the bus and see Tomoya there waiting for him.

“Hey.”

“Hi. Well, um, shall we?”

Koudai didn't know what to talk about, just listening as Tomoya started talking about football. He ... sort of knew what the alpha was talking about, though it wasn't really his thing. But there was something about the way Tomoya's scent shifted when he got really excited that was ... comforting.

The alpha turned surprisingly shy as Koudai introduced him – as a new friend – to the rest of his family. Then again, Tomoya was an only child whereas Koudai had three siblings (two older, one younger) and their father's elderly mother living with him. It made for boisterous meals, something with which he could tell Tomoya didn't have much experience, not like this anyway.

“Sorry if my family was a little overwhelming,” he said as he walked with Tomoya to the bus stop. “And I ... I'm sorry about not telling them you're my soulmate, but Dad would flip.”

“It's okay, your cousin Shinya-san sort of implied the same thing that afternoon, so I was kinda expecting that,” Tomoya said with a small smile. “Can I ... would you ... I mean, tomorrow's the weekend, so maybe, if you don't have any plans....”

Koudai really didn't know what it was Tomoya was trying to ask, but something about the earnestness in his expression and scent....

“Mom wants me to help her with spring cleaning tomorrow, but if I can get some free time, I'll let you know?” he said, offering his soulmate what he hoped was a properly soothing smile.

“All right! Um, depending on when ... if I'm not home, I'll probably be at that park again?”

“All right,” Koudai said with a little nod. “I can't promise anything, but I'll try.”

The arrival of Tomoya's bus cut short any more conversation. Though it didn't stop the young alpha from pecking a quick, impulsive kiss to Koudai's cheek before he hurried to board the bus. At first Koudai was too stunned to do anything but stand there. Why ... why had Tomoya done that? They were barely even friends. Did Tomoya think they were already a couple? Well he was just going to have to set the alpha straight the next time they talked! They could be friends, maybe, but he was _way_ too young to be committing to one person as his romantic love for the rest of his life and so was Tomoya. They were not dating or promised to each other or anything like that. And if Tomoya couldn't accept that, then they weren't even going to be friends until he could!

~*~*~

Tomoya could scent it even before he came downstairs. Koudai was both determined and displeased, while his own mother just smelled disappointed. Again. Tomoya flinched, hanging his head as he dropped to his knees at the genkan.

“I'm sorry, Yamashita-kun, I acted impulsively and it was wrong. It won't happen again.”

When Koudai didn't say anything at first, Tomoya risked a glance up, biting his lip to keep from laughing at the way the omega was gaping at him. Was it really that surprising that he would apologize like this? Though at least they didn't have an audience, his mother probably having gone to the kitchen to get them a snack.

“Well ... well good,” Koudai said at last with a firm nod. “I don't know you anywhere near well enough for things like that.”

“I know, I wasn't thinking,” he said, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his gut. Someday. He would grow big and strong and show his omega that he could protect him better than anyone. He _would_. And when he did....


	2. Enamored

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> timestamp: summer 1993  
> More cute-sweet as the boys get some more time alone together.

It was stupid, but Tomoya still caught himself holding his breath as he stepped off the train, worry aching in his chest. What if Koudai wasn't here? What if ... what if his omega had found someone else?? They hadn't seen each other in over a year, that was practically forever at their age. But he couldn't just not breathe....

“Tomoyan!”

“Koudai?”

“Told you I'd be here, idiot,” the omega said, swatting Tomoya's shoulder. He was so relieved to see him, he couldn't help it, sweeping his soulmate into a giant hug and burrowing his nose into the crook of his neck. Roses and sandalwood and a comfort he never found with anyone else.

“Yan!”

“Missed you,” he mumbled, ignoring everything and everyone else for the moment. Not being able to see Koudai in so long, especially when his omega still wouldn't commit to anything more than friendship, had been pure torture. One that felt a little too orchestrated by Koudai's parents, all things considered, as if they were trying to keep them apart for some reason.

“Yan, we're still in public,” Koudai mumbled, though he didn't make any sort of move to escape. A beat and he relented, stepping back to get a better look at his soulmate. Koudai had grown several centimeters since they had last seen each other, but then so had Tomoya. He looked awkward and uncomfortable with himself, hiding behind long hair and baggy clothes. Tomoya stepped in to peck a quick kiss to his forehead, then passed him his shoulder bag before turning to gather the rest of his luggage.

“They're really going to let you stay home this time?” he asked.

“Yup. Dad doesn't like it, but I'm fifteen now and anyway, Mom agreed at home was better after what happened with my last heat.”

“Huh? Why? What happened??” Tomoya asked, immediately worried. “Why didn't you tell me something had happened??”

“Yan! You can't just ... you alphas! Anyway, you were at school, what were you going to do but worry? I'm fine now, doctor said it was probably just teenage hormones, but my dad doesn't need to know that.”

Tomoya frowned, but he didn't want to risk spoiling things between them by arguing. And Koudai had a point, it wasn't like he would have been able to do anything. Still, it would be good to know what to watch out for, especially if his omega was going to be home alone....

“See, this is exactly why I didn't tell you,” his omega scolded. “You worry too much.”

“... I might worry less if you agreed to give dating a real try,” he lied.

“Would not,” Koudai replied, laughing. “You _do_ know not all soulmates are meant to be romantic, yeah?”

“You've only been reminding me every chance you got from the day we met practically,” Tomoya teased back, lightly bumping shoulders with the omega. He kept trying to bulk up like a 'proper' alpha now that he was in his teens, but so far nothing was working. They were both waifishly thin, how was he going to prove he could be a good alpha like this? Then again, Koudai's whole family would be spending most of their summer break in Okinawa. If Tomoya could just convince his omega to let him stay with him during that time, maybe then he could prove himself?

“So ... have you thought about it?” he asked as they stepped off the bus.

“Still thinking about it,” Koudai said with a shrug, but there was something in his scent. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but....

“I know you're worried about your dad finding out, but whatever it is that happened with your last heat....”

“... I shouldn't've said anything about that,” Koudai mumbled.

“Mou, Kou-chan, you don't have to be like that,” he said, trying hard not to give in to a pout. “Whatever you decide, you know I'm gonna wanna spend as much time with you as I can, yeah?”

“... I missed you, too,” Koudai said, bumping their shoulders together again. “It's really not the same around here without you, you know.”

“Couple more years and then we can move to Tokyo for college,” Tomoya said, a wistful feeling catching in his chest as he thought about it.

“I don't know, what would I even study?” Koudai asked.

“Anthropology, art history, who cares? Take the Todai exam with me.”

“Who cares isn't something I can say to my dad, Yan,” his omega scolded. As much as Tomoya wanted to keep arguing, they had reached his house, his mom already launching into a lecture about making such a sweet omega shlep for him – never mind that _he'd_ been carrying most of his luggage – when he could have just called her for a ride. And yet he quietly put up with it, even apologizing to them both, because of the way it made Koudai smile. He would do anything for that smile.

~*~*~

Koudai somehow managed not to roll his eyes as his mother fussed yet again, going through all the emergency numbers and what to do in case anything happened.

“Really, Mom, I'll be fine, honest.”

“Are you sure, sweetheart? You know, it's not too late to change your mind....”

“Go on, Mom. Hasegawa-kun will be here soon and if Dad isn't gone by then....”

“All right, all right, well, if you need anything, we'll be at the cabin by this evening. I'll check in tonight, but make sure _you're_ the one to answer the phone, okay?”

“Yes, Mom, I promise,” he said, glancing at his watch again. Any minute now, Tomoya would be here. They really needed to leave.

Like a good son, Koudai stood at the door, watching as his father drove away for the family vacation. As quickly as Tomoya came around the corner after the car turned onto a cross street, the alpha had to have been watching and waiting for just that.

“... you were waiting for them to leave,” he mock-accused as Tomoya came up to the house.

“Well yeah, I wasn't going to come up here while your dad was still here,” the alpha said, chuckling lightly. “You've made it pretty clear he would _not_ take it well if he knew you were seeing me. I'm not going to make things worse for you like that.”

“Sorry, Mom was being ridiculous,” Koudai said, accepting a hug from the alpha and trying not to think about how having Tomoya around made him feel.

“Thanks for letting me stay with you, Kou-chan,” his friend said, leaving his bags by the couch for the moment.

“... still doesn't mean we're dating, Yan,” he warned, giving his friend a cautious look. Anything else aside, though, Tomoya was still one of his best friends. And he really _had_ missed him in the last year and change since they had been able to see each other properly.

“So cruel,” Tomoya said, dramatically clutching his chest. “All right, fine, I'll make you a deal: give me the rest of the month to show you what a good alpha I can be and if you're still not interested by the time I have to go back to school, I promise to let it drop. I won't ask again after this, we'll just be good friends from then on, okay?”

It felt a little like a trap, but at the same time ... he knew Tomoya would stick to his word. Surely it was worth a little risk to put the matter to rest once and for all, right?

“Okay, three weeks. You can sleep in Aniki's room, he'll never notice. But don't think this means I'm going to act the omega housewife for you while you're here!”

“Never crossed my mind!”

Koudai watched as Tomoya turned and took his two bags upstairs to his brother's room. Three weeks to settle the matter. He could do that.

~*~*~

Tomoya had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the shock on Koudai's face and in his scent as the omega stopped short at the threshold of the kitchen. Only their first morning together and he was already catching his omega off guard. Maybe it was progress?

“Yan?”

“Ah, you caught me. I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed,” he said with a sheepish smile. “Hope pancakes are okay?”

“Yan, you didn't have to do this....”

“I know, but I wanted to,” he said, gaining a little confidence when he saw Koudai wasn't really objecting. “I wasn't sure if you'd want coffee or not, but I made some anyway.”

“I don't drink coffee,” Koudai said, wrinkling his nose cutely.

“Okay, well, I'll take care of it,” he said, making a mental note to pick up his own filters and coffee grounds later so Koudai's parents wouldn't wonder why there was coffee missing when their son didn't drink it.

“Should I make tea then?” he asked, laughing a little when he realized Koudai was already doing it himself. “Go sit! Let me pamper you!”

“I can make _tea_ ,” the omega huffed and why did even that have to be so endearing? “I'm not an invalid!”

“Mou, I know that, Kou-chan, I didn't mean it like that.”

“I'm still not your omega, Yan. Just friends.”

“Hey now,” he said softly, setting down the plate in his hands and turning his full attention on the other teen, “you promised to give me a fair chance, Kou-chan.”

The omega sighed, hugging himself as something like shame flickered through his scent. Tomoya swallowed a sigh of his own, walking over to him to rub his arms gently.

“Friends take care of each other, too, yeah? Let me take care of you for a change,” he said softly, daring to reach out to squeeze his hand. “I already know how strong you are, Kou-chan. Give me a chance to show you that it's okay not to be that all the time, that you can trust me to take care of you when you need it, okay?”

Koudai freed his hand with a little huff and for a heart-stopping moment, Tomoya was afraid he had ruined everything. To his surprise, Koudai stepped closer, shyly sliding arms around him even as he leaned into his chest. For a beat, he couldn't think at all. And then he curled his own arms around his precious omega.

“One day,” Tomoya said, slowly rubbing Koudai's back. “Give me today to pamper you completely and if by the end of it you really can't stand it, tomorrow we'll do something else.”

“One day,” his omega mumbled into his chest. Tomoya hugged him close without saying anything more just yet. If he had to take this just one day at a time, he would.

~*~*~

Koudai woke in a cold sweat, his pulse thundering in his ears. He was confused at first, and then an uncomfortably familiar feeling twisted at his guts. Koudai whimpered, trying to will it away. It was happening again. The very thing his doctor had insisted was a one time fluke. With effort, he rolled over and pressed his face into his pillow. He didn't want to disturb Tomoya with this.

“Kou-chan?”

He tried to lay still and not whimper, tried to pretend he was still asleep. Tomoya sat on the edge of the bed, lightly brushing his back.

“Kou-chan, I know you're awake, I can smell the pain you're in. Talk to me, what's happening? Tell me or I'm calling the hospital.”

Koudai groaned, but it didn't come out as proper words. A deep breath and he tried again, rolling onto his side.

“It's ... it's something with skipping my heat,” he said, whimpering at a fresh wave of pain. “I ... I don't know, but last time all the doctors did was give me some aspirin and tell me not to be such a baby.”

Tomoya snarled something impressively vile and Koudai couldn't help a little smile. So protective.

“What actually helps? A hot bath? Cold packs? Tea? Medicine?”

“A ... a warm bath in a bit,” he said, wincing again. “Peppermint and ginger tea after. The aspirin sort of helped, too, but....”

“Tell me what you need,” the alpha said softly, brushing sweaty hair back from his face. It was such a sweet gesture, for a second all Koudai could think about was how patient and caring Tomoya was being, not at all like the stories of possessive alphas. Could it be that Tomoya was right? That they really were meant to be more than just friends? He could feel himself crying and he wasn't even sure why.

“Kou-chan? What's wrong?”

“Why?”

“Why ... what?”

“Why are you....?”

“Why am I here? Because you're my soulmate and you need me,” Tomoya said, leaning in to brush a kiss to his forehead. “What do you need?”

Koudai whimpered, curling in on himself as another wave of pain twisted through him. When it was done, he was panting heavily, but also cradled in Tomoya's arms, the alpha holding him close and cooing soft reassurance.

“... Yan?”

“Yeah?”

“Pills,” he mumbled, leaning into Tomoya's chest. “And ... do we still have any cake?”

“One last piece,” Tomoya assured him with a nod. “Want to come downstairs or...?”

“Pretty sure I can't make it that far,” he confessed with a tired sigh.

“Something else we won't tell your parents,” the alpha said with a wink.

“Yan....”

“Can you at least make it to the bath?” Tomoya asked, his smile vanishing into a worried frown.

“I think so,” he said, using the alpha's steadiness to pull himself upright. “But not fast.”

“That's fine, it's not a race, ne? Do you want me to stay with you or get the tea and cake?”

“Cake and pills first. And maybe,” he started, biting his lip before the rest of the words could spill out of his mouth. He couldn't _really_ just ask Tomoya to take a bath with him like that. But he didn't want to risk being alone, either. Maybe it would have been better to go on the family vacation after all? But he and Tomoya had seen so little of each other in so long....

“Anything you need, Kou-chan,” the alpha said, the smile back in his eyes.

“Cake,” Koudai repeated, closing his eyes against another wave of discomfort.

“Cake it is,” Tomoya said, leaning in to brush a quick kiss to his forehead. Koudai watched his alpha leave, wondering what it was Tomoya saw in him. Not all soulmates were romantic, how many times had he heard those words repeated? By his parents, by his teachers, by all kinds of adults. And now he was wondering why. Why everyone had pushed so hard to make him think a soulmate wasn't anything special when, well, Tomoya was definitely special. More special than anyone else he had ever known.

“Kou-chan?”

Koudai startled, surprised to see Tomoya was back. And empty-handed. How long had he been lost in thought anyway? Too long, apparently; he hadn't even moved yet.

“Yan?”

“Come on, I've got the bath all set up. Cake, medicine, water, and I'll make the tea later, when you're actually ready for it,” the alpha said, a sweet and charming smile on his lips. That smile, the way Tomoya always was with him ... it wasn't what he had been told to expect from an alpha. And yet it _was_ what he had been told to look for in a mate. Someone who would always been there for him, take care of him when he needed it. And right now, he needed it, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

“Stay with me?” he asked in a small voice.

“Always,” Tomoya said, offering his arm. Koudai leaned into the alpha's strength with a little hum of relief. Maybe nine year old Tomoya had been right all along.

~*~*~

For two days, Tomoya stuck to Koudai's side as much as he could while his omega suffered through whatever it was his body was doing to him. More than once, he worried that they should call a doctor, but Koudai insisted it was useless. Tomoya couldn't really argue with him too well, it wasn't like he knew much of anything about how heats worked. None of his female friends at school had ever been through something like this during _their_ skipped heats, at least as far as he knew, but maybe they had just been hiding it from him? Still, something about it felt ... unnatural. And still Koudai insisted it was nothing.

On the other hand, things had definitely changed between them. Koudai wouldn't let Tomoya out of his sight for too long, and though he had rolled out a futon in his room so Tomoya could stay close but not in his bed, both mornings, the alpha had woken with his omega curled against his chest. He had lost count of how many times he'd had to stop himself from saying “I love you” to his soulmate, terrified that it would be a push too far, but the words were there, aching in his chest for wanting to be said.

And then the third morning after Koudai's symptoms had begun, Tomoya woke up to an empty futon and the smell of fresh coffee. Uncertain what to make of that, he threw on some clothes before hurrying downstairs. He didn't know what to think of the sight of his omega in an apron, cooking pancakes.

“Kou-chan? What...?”

“I'm better now, so I thought ... you've done so much the last couple of days....”

“You needed me,” Tomoya said, walking over to brush a kiss to his omega's forehead, tucking arms around his waist. Not feverish anymore, that was a blessing.

“Still deserves a thank you,” Koudai said, surprising him a little by leaning against him. “So thank you.”

“Well then, you're welcome,” he said, daring to brush another kiss to his omega's forehead. “How can I help?”

“You can sit down and wait patiently,” Koudai said with a completely fake scowl.

“Yes, Mom,” he teased, laughing as he got his coffee first instead. Koudai huffed, but it was obviously not serious, the amusement in his scent giving him away.

“So,” he said when they were finally both sat down with breakfast, “since you're feeling better, do you want to go out and do something together today? Or do you want to take another slow day here at home, give yourself more time to recover?”

“I'm fine with staying home today,” Koudai said with a little nod. “But maybe tomorrow we can go down to the beach? Thursdays are almost calm, for summer, and I haven't been to the boardwalk in awhile.”

“As long as I'm allowed to buy you ice cream,” he said, trying to hold in his wistfulness.

“Of course,” his omega replied with an almost shy smile. Yup, things had definitely changed between them, last week Koudai would have refused, maybe even told him off for trying to treat him like a boyfriend. He wasn't entirely sure _why_ things were different now, but at the same time he wasn't sure it mattered. Things had changed for the better, that was what mattered most.

~*~*~

Tomoya hugged Koudai close, grateful that his parents had already gone, leaving them alone on the platform. Well, alone-ish; he wasn't the only alpha about to leave Hamamatsu for school.

“I don't want to go,” Tomoya mumbled. “I'm really worried about you, Kou-chan.”

“I'll be fine, Yan,” his omega scolded fondly, though he didn't move away either.

“If something happens....”

“Tomoyan, really, I'll be fine,” Koudai insisted.

“But you ... you're so perfect and it's going to be years yet before I can take care of you properly and what if some other alpha comes along and sweeps you off your feet?”

“Never going to happen,” Koudai said with a little smile.

“But –.”

“Doesn't matter, Yan,” his omega said, stretching up to press a kiss to Tomoya's forehead. “You were right, Yan, you're my soulmate. For you, I'll wait. And every time you come home, I'll be right here to welcome you back. I promise.”

Tomoya couldn't hold it back any longer. He hugged Koudai tightly a moment, then stepped back.

“I love you, Kou-chan.”

“I love you, too, Yan,” Koudai said, surprising him with a quick, sweet kiss. “As long as it takes, I promise, I'll wait for you.”

Tomoya wasn't sure he touched the ground again for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me what's wrong with KouD, he's never wanted to tell me specifics. The symptoms here are pretty generic and could cover a variety of reproductive system malfunctions, so.


End file.
